We would like to wish all of our guests and friends a Happy New Year!
We look forward to welcoming guests to stay in our Cotswold holiday cottages in 2020.
New for 2020: Our cottages can now be booked online. Book direct for best prices on our holiday cottages in the beautiful village of Broadway in the Cotswolds AONB.
There are various options for cycle hire, including E-bikes, to explore the villages and towns in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Popular cycling routes include Broadway, Snowshill, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, or the less undulating Vale of Evesham with its many cycle routes. A popular cycle path is The Stratford Greenway, a 5.3 mile route on the National Cycle Network, connecting Stratford-upon-Avon with Long Marston in nearby Warwickshire.
If hiring bicycles or bringing your own bicycles with you during your stay in one of our Cotswold holiday cottages, we have a secure lockable Cycle Store on site for your bikes and equipment.
TY Cycles in Chipping Norton is the best bet for cycle hire for a few days. Road, hybrid and E-bikes can be rented and they will deliver and pick up the bikes from your cottage – they can’t always deliver straight away so it’s best to give them a couple of days’ notice. Delivery, helmets, locks, etc are all included in the hire price. The address for TY Cycles is: Unit 11, Worcester Road Trading Park, Chipping Norton OX7 5XW, their website is www.tycycles.co.uk and they can be contacted on tel. 01608 2381504 or 07850 361146.
E-bikes can be hired locally by the hour or for the day from either the Tower Barn at Broadway Tower (tel. 01386 572284) or Willersey Stores, Main Street, Willersey WR12 7PJ (tel. Mark Jepson on 01386 853489/07895 028448). Packed lunches and refreshments are also available for an additional cost.
If visiting Bourton-on-the-Water bicycles can be hired from Hartwells Cycle Store, High Street, Bourton-on-the-Water GL54 2AJ (tel. 01451 820405 or visit www.hartwellscotswoldcyclehire.co.uk.
Far Peak Cycle Hire, Northleach (tel. 01285 700370, email cycling@farpeak.co.uk) – a huge range of Hybrid, Mountain, Electric and kids bikes.
Bicycles can also be hired from:
Stratford Bike Hire (for a ride along The Greenway), Seven Meadows Road, Old Town, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6GR. Tel. 07711 776340.
Pedalabikeaway in the Forest of Dean, Cannop Valley, New Road, Coleford GL16 7EH. Tel. 01594 860065, www.pedalabikeaway.co.uk.
If you have a bicycle and would like to hire a bike box to transport your bike look no further than Cotswold Bike Box Hire at The Manor House, Broadway. Cotswold Bike Box Hire rent out Trico Sports Bike Boxes from £5 per day. See www.cotswoldbikeboxhire.co.uk for more information.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
This wonderful British Pathé film of Broadway, Worcestershire, was in the summer of 1962. Life may be busier in Broadway today but not much has changed in the picturesque North Cotswold village. Broadway’s High Street is still lined with grass verges and majestic horse-chestnut trees still stand tall alongside the wide ‘broad way’ running through the centre of the village. The village with its range of hotels, shops, galleries, restaurants and tea rooms, has retained its wonderful historic character. Old buildings line the High Street, a mixture of period houses and picturesque Cotswold stone cottages. Many of the buildings date back hundreds of years and have retained their original character.
As in the summer of 1962, Broadway looks its best when the sun lights up the honey-coloured limestone buildings but the village is an all year-round destination. During the first weekend in September, as autumn approaches, the village hosts its annual Horticultural & Craft Show and award-winning Food Festival with stalls selling local produce on the village green. From mid-November to January the horse-chestnut trees and the large domed topiary yews outside the Broadway Hotel, twinkle with hundreds of white lights giving the village a magical atmosphere over the Christmas period and during the Late Night Christmas Shopping Evenings at the end of November and beginning of December. Broadway is a great place to visit whatever the time of year.
Broadway is an ideal place to visit and spend a day or more ambling along the High Street with its wide range of independent shops, art galleries, restaurants, tea and coffee shops.
If you are looking to stay in Broadway we have a range of fully-equipped holiday cottages in the grounds of the 16th century Manor House located on West End just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of the village. For further information about our Cotswold holiday cottages (short breaks available) visit: www.broadwaymanor.co.uk.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
www.broadwaymanor.co.uk
The Broadway Food Festival returns to the village on Sunday 15th September 2019. The Festival won this year’s Cotswold Life Food & Drink Award for the Best Local Food & Drink Initiative in the Cotswolds 2019, a well deserved accolade.
This September,from 10am to 4pm, the Festival’s marquee on the village green will be packed with over 35 stalls. The Festival is a great opportunity to meet the local Cotswold and Worcestershire people who grow and create the top quality food and drink within 30 miles of the village that can be found, all year round, in the village’s shops and restaurants and cafés.
The 2019 Broadway Food Festival stallholders include: bakers, bee keepers selling local Cotswold honey, brewers, cheese makers, confectioners, curers, distillers, farmers, food oil producers, fruit and vegetable growers, pie makers, vintners, and many many more. The food stands on the green outside the marquee include: ice creams, salt beef bagels, Indian street food, a pig roast, coffees and teas, crêpes, pan-Asian vegetarian street food, Longhorn burgers, Caribbean curries, mini Dutch pancakes, cocktails, real ales and more! There will also be cooking demonstrations by local chefs including Ales Maurer, the Head Chef at the Lygon Arms Hotel.
Discover the best of local food and drink in the Cotswolds here in Broadway, Worcestershire, this September. Admission is free at this not to be missed event. A great day out for all the family!
If you are planning to visit the 2019 Broadway Food Festival and are looking to stay in the village over the weekend, we have short break availability in our award winning holiday cottages at The Manor House, Broadway. Our cottages sleep from 2 – 4 guests and are just a few minutes’ walk from the village green. Contact us for our latest rates and availability.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
At 12 noon on 10th April 1912, RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton for New York. Amongst the 1st Class passengers on the ill-fated liner was Broadway resident, writer and artist Francis Davis Millet.
Frank Millet (Civil War soldier, painter, mural decorator, sculptor and writer) was born in Massachusetts on 3rd November 1846. He spent many years of his life painting and living in Broadway with his wife and family, firstly at Farnham House and later at Russell House on the village green. Millet had joined the ship at Cherbourg, France, and was travelling to the US with his friend Major Archibald Willingham Butt, military aide to US President William Howard Taft and President Theodore Roosevelt. Millet died in the sinking of the ship and was last seen helping women and children into the lifeboats. His body was later recovered from the sea by the crew of the cable ship MacKay Bennett and was returned to East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he was buried in Central Cemetery.
Millet’s paintings can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Detroit Insitute of Art and the Tate Gallery, London. Millet was the first director of the American Academy in Rome and his painting Between Two Fires,painted c1892, which hangs in the Tate, was painted in the refectory of the 14th century Abbots Grange, Broadway. Millet restored Abbots Grange from its monastic ruins and it became a studio for the artists’ colony in Broadway he helped create. The ‘Broadway Colony’ included artists and writers such as John Singer Sargent, Alfred Parsons, Fred Barnard, Henry James, Edmund Gosse, Edwin Austin Abbey and the actress Mary Anderson (Mme de Navarro), to name just a few. Sargent spent the summers of 1885 and 1886 with the Millet family at Farnham House and Russell House. It was in these Broadway gardens that Sargent painted Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rosewhich now hangs in the Tate Gallery, London.
At the saxon church, St Eadburgha’s, on the Snowshill Road in Broadway there is a lychgate dedicated to Frank Millet. In 1932, twenty years after the Titanic disaster, Millet’s son Jack (John Alfred Parsons Millet) sent £120 to St Eadburgha’s for the creation of the lychgate. The inscription was devised by two Harvard classics professors and reads:
‘FRANCISCO DAVIS MILLET VIRO IN ARTIBVS LITTERISQVE PRAESTANTI QVI NAVI TITANICA FRACTA DVM SPEM TIMIDIS AFFERT MORTEM LAE TVS OPPETIVIT HOC MONVMENTVM SVAVIS AMICITIAE MEMORES SODALES PONENDVM CVRAVERVNT’
the original English translation is:
‘To Francis Davis Millet – A man of outstanding attainment in literature and art who, when the ship Titanic was sunk, gladly faced death while bringing hope to those in great need. His intimate friends have had this memorial erected in memory of a dear friendship’.
St Eadburgha’s is a lovely peaceful place to visit and is open to visitors most days from 10am to 4pm. The church is about a 15 minute walk from our Cotswold holiday cottages on West End. The oldest part of the current church is from the 12th century. The nave arcades are supported on beautiful Norman columns with large diameter bases and simple scalloped capitals. The roof of the nave is crafted from lovely old timber, with a frieze along the wall-plate with small, carved faces mixed with foliage designs. Against the west wall of the south aisle is one of the newest monuments in the church, the Millenium Stone which was inserted in 1972 to celebrate 1000 years of Broadway history. The lychgate is located a little further along the Snowshill Road at the entrance to the new cemetery.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
An exciting two-day car show is coming to Broadway in the Cotswolds this summer. A celebration of fabulous supercars, classic and vintage cars will take place in the village on 13th and 14th July 2019.
As in previous years, the show will take place right in the centre of Broadway (postcode WR12 7AA). The weekend will be a great opportunity to soak up Broadway’s Cotswold charm and character. The village has a range of fabulous independent shops, art galleries, museums, restaurants, tea shops and cafés. Alongside beautiful cars, there will be plenty happening on the village green with street food and memorabilia on sale and a live jazz band.
Supercar Saturday starts for exhibitors with an optional drive through the Cotswolds culminating with a parade through the village by members of the Cotswolds branch of the Ferrari Owners’ Club and the Supercar Drivers’ Club. The cars will park along the High Street and the village green for viewing alongside a display of Bentleys, Aston Martins (including an Aston Martin Vantage S), a SLK55 AMG Mercedes and many others.
The Lygon Arms will be hosting a lunchtime charity fashion show by Slate Clothing and the day will end at The Lygon Arms with a black-tie dinner hosted by a motoring celebrity (both events are subject to booking and availability).
During the day there will be an opportunity to take a Morgan sports car for the morning or for an afternoon drive around the Cotswolds (subject to prior booking).
The theme on Sunday will be classic and vintage cars with a parade through the village and a fabulous display on the village green and High Street. Expect classic and vintage Jaguars, Aston Martins, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Bugattis and many more. The Morgan Motor Company will again be adding to the atmosphere with the opportunity to take a Morgan for a morning or afternoon drive.
For more information about the 2019 Broadway Car Show click here.
Why not make a weekend of it and stay in one of our Cotswold holiday cottages or stay for a week or more and spend time enjoying the surrounding area? Our holiday cottages are located on West End less than 10 minutes’ walk from the village green. We have availability in Rafters (sleeps 2) either for the weekend or for a longer stay. For more information about our holiday cottages in Broadway click here.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
A new car park opened in Broadway this week opposite Broadway Station on Station Road. 85 car parking spaces, including spaces for ‘Blue Badge’ holders, have been created by Wychavon District Council on land provided by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR). The car park is less than 5 minutes’ walk from the station. The parking area also includes a pleasant grassy area next to the line that can be used for picnics. Later this year electric vehicle charging units will be installed.
The parking charges are from 50p for half an hour up to £5.00 for 10 hours. Those purchasing a £5.00 parking ticket will receive a £3.00 refund from GWSR against the purchase of one train ticket for the same day. Pay and display parking tickets can be purchased with cash or by using the RingGo parking website or app.
GWSR Refund for Car Park Users
A new café, offering a range of light refreshments, will also open at the station when the service resumes in a few days’ time.
For those that prefer to walk rather than drive to the station, it about half a mile from our holiday cottages on foot. The railway resumes services for the 2019 season on Saturday 9th March.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
Many of our guests like to visit the city of Bath during their stay. The city with its wide range of excellent shops, restaurants, museums, Georgian architecture and Roman baths is about 70 miles from our holiday cottages and can be reached in less than 2 hours by car.
Our recommendation is to use one of the Park and Ride car parks on the edge of the city rather than drive in to the centre and spend time trying to find a parking space. The buses from the Park and Ride car parks run frequently and are not expensive.
If looking for a coffee, cup of tea and something to eat on arrival in Bath, we recommend stopping at Sally Lunn’s, 4 North Parade Passage. Sally Lunn’s opens at 10am and is home to the original Sally Lunn Bunn (the original Bath bun) which is still baked to a secret recipe and served with a wide variety of delicious toppings including cinnamon butter and lemon curd. The historic building is one of the oldest houses in Bath and dates back to 1483. It became the home of the French baker, Sally Lunn, a Hugenot refugee, in the 1600s.
Sally Lunn’s is also open for lunch, afternoon teas and dinner (see www.sallylunns.co.uk) for more information. Reservations are advisable as it does get very busy.
A few minutes’ walk away from Sally Lunn’s is the Roman Baths Museum and the ruins of a 43AD Roman settlement. The Baths are open from 9am until 5pm (November to February 9.30am and later during Easter weeks and the summer). Entrance costs from £14.40 per adult with a 10% discount if booked online. The Museum runs free tours and free audioguides are available in a number of languages. For more information visit www.romanbaths.co.uk.
It is not possible to bathe in the waters but the nearby Thermae Bath Spa uses the same mineral-enriched water, treated to make it safe to enjoy (see website site for details).
A visit to the baths including a free tour will take approximately 2 hours.
There are several options for a walking tour of the city. Our recommendation is to join one of the entertaining tours given by The Mayor of Bath Honorary Guides. The daily tours are free (no tips allowed) and there is no need to book. Tours start outside the Roman Baths (look for the sign ‘Free Walking Tours Start Here’). The walks take place within the city are about 2 miles (3km) in length with a gradual climb of 100 feet (30m) and takes approximately 2 hours. The walks take in the majestic Bath Abbey, Pulteney Street and 18th century Pulteney Bridge, the beautiful Georgian Royal Crescent, Circus Crescent and much more.
Bath Abbey, the Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul, was built in 1499. Visitors may visit the main church area for free. A tour of the tower (tickets available to purchase from the gift shop) takes visitors up 212 steps past the bell chamber (with the Abbey’s 10 bells) to the Abbey’s rooftop with its wonderful panoramic view of the city.
Photo: By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
If you are a fan of Jane Austen, Bath’s most famous resident, then the Jane Austen Centre, 40 Gay Street, Queen Square, is worth a visit. The centre, set in a classically decorated Georgian townhouse, offers a snapshot of what it would be like to live in Regency times. Afternoon tea can be enjoyed in the Regency Tea Room. For further information and admissions prices see www.janeausten.co.uk.
There are plenty of excellent independent shops, tea rooms, coffee shops, and restaurants in Bath to fill up any spare time. Milsom Street, built in 1792, was recently voted ‘Britain’s Best Fashion Street’.
A great spot to enjoy afternoon tea is in the elegant Pump Room Restaurant in the Abbey Churchyard where the Pump Room Trio serenade guests. Walk in tables are available daily but to avoid missing out we would advise that a table is reserved online (www.romanbaths.co.uk or telephone 01225 444477).
We hope you enjoy your day in Bath!
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
Archaeologists at work, Broadway Archaeological Dig, West End, Broadway
On Monday 18th February 2019, Broadway History Society will be hosting an illustrated talk on the Broadway Archaeological Dig, West End, Broadway. Prior to the work that took place to build a flood defence, archaeologists from Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service excavated, the site, a neighbouring field, along West End, Broadway.
During the dig, the archaeologists found evidence of some of Broadway’s earliest known residents: Mesolithic hunter-gathers who lived on the site along Bunchers Brook around 10,000 years ago and some intriguing Bronze Age finds dating back over 4000 years.
The dig proved to much more important than expected and the main focus of the excavations was a complex Iron Age and Roman settlement with some fantastic rare Saxon and Roman finds and an ancient burial site. Medieval remains were also found that predate the foundation of a planned town at Broadway in the late 12th or early 13th century, which later shrank in size to become the historic centre of the village we know today.
Robin Jackson from Worcestershire’s Archaeology Service will be giving an illustrated talk on the dig and the wonderful finds at the Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway, starting at 7pm (doors open at 6.30pm). The talk is free to members of Broadway History Society, non-member £3.
For the Best Price and Experience #BookDirect
Booking direct with Broadway Manor Cottages is best. It gives our guests a better experience, the most flexibility and our best price is guaranteed. If you book with us directly, we can communicate with you personally about your cottage and stay rather than through a third party online booking or travel agent. Most importantly there are no hidden fees or extras such as booking commission when you book direct.
Our Book Direct Offer 2019: During February 2019, all bookings for 7 nights or more booked between 1st February and 30th August 2019 (except Easter week and Cheltenham Festival week in March) and made directly with us will receive a 10% discount off the advertised price on our website.
Direct is Best: To obtain the best discounted rate when you contact us to make a new booking in one of our Cotswold holiday cottages in the beautiful village of Broadway in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, please quote #BookDirect (see below).
Please note:
This offer only applies to new confirmed bookings made during February 2019 quoting #BookDirect at the time of booking or reservation of your chosen cottage and cannot be added to a booking at a later date. All discounted bookings need to be secured with a deposit by 28th February 2019 for the discount to apply.
Debbie Williamson
Broadway Manor Cottages
